2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a larger and more spacious alternative to its smaller sibling, the Highlander. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with models like the RAV4 and Toyota Sienna, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 201.4 inches and a wheelbase of 116.1 inches, it surpassed competitors like the Kia Telluride in size, providing a roomy interior. Its design, inspired by rugged vehicles, featured a blockier style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the Toyota 4Runner. The Grand Highlander was available in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with interior options ranging from Softex synthetic leather to real leather in higher trims. It offered a comfortable and well-built interior, making it an excellent choice for road trips.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its distinctive retro-inspired appearance, drawing comparisons to the Lancia Delta. The mid-cycle refresh brought subtle changes to the front fascia while retaining the iconic "Parametric Pixel" headlights and taillights. The new XRT trim stood out with red tow hooks and digital camouflage-patterned cladding, offering exclusive colors like Ultimate Red and Cosmic Blue Pearl. The interior remained minimalistic and modern, with minor updates to the center console for improved functionality. The XRT trim featured a dark interior with all-weather floor mats and debossed XRT logos. Overall, the Ioniq 5 continued to impress with its unique design and thoughtful interior layout.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. At the top of the range, the Hybrid Max powertrain combined a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with hybrid technology, generating 362 combined net horsepower and 400 combined net lb-ft of torque. The Grand Highlander was available with front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), with the Hybrid Max exclusively AWD. While not a sports car, the Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration, achieving a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander excelled in road manners, though its size made it less maneuverable in tight spaces. It featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for AWD models.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT introduced a Terrain Mode button on the steering wheel, offering Snow, Mud, and Sand options that adjusted throttle mapping, wheel slip, power distribution, and regenerative braking. The XRT handled off-road conditions well, with all-wheel drive (AWD) as standard. The Ioniq 5's battery capacity increased for 2025, extending its range. Most trims could travel 318 miles in rear-wheel drive (RWD) configuration, while AWD reduced the range slightly. Power output varied with the powertrain choice, with RWD models producing up to 225 horsepower and AWD models delivering 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque. The Ioniq 5's instant torque made it enjoyable to drive, even with its substantial curb weight.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was notably larger than its rivals, measuring 201.4 inches in length with a 116.1-inch wheelbase. This extra length translated to impressive cargo capacity, offering 97.5 cubic feet of total storage space. With seats in position, it provided 57.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 20.6 cubic feet with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander was designed for comfort, with ample head, leg, and shoulder room in every row, making it suitable for adults in the third row.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 addressed previous complaints by adding a rear windshield wiper. Inside, the center console featured fore-and-aft cupholders and a wireless charging pad. Heated front seats were standard, with a heated steering wheel available at the SEL trim level. The Limited trim offered front seat ventilation and driver's seat memory. Interior dimensions remained unchanged, with generous head and legroom. Cargo space measured 26.3 cubic feet with rear seats up and 58.5 cubic feet with them folded down, plus an additional .85 cubic feet in the frunk. The Ioniq 5's transition to the North American Charging System (NACS) allowed access to Tesla's Supercharger network, enhancing its charging capabilities.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous models. An intelligent assistant, activated by saying "Hey Toyota," was available through a connected-services subscription, allowing voice commands for tasks like temperature adjustment and radio changes. The subscription also included cloud-based navigation and live agent assistance. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims came with an 11-speaker JBL stereo, offering balanced sound quality. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, with additional subscription options for Wi-Fi Connect.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retained its pair of 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and digital instruments, with improved functionality and faster processing speeds. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard, enhancing smartphone connectivity. The Bose Premium Audio system was available on the XRT trim, while SE and SEL trims had a six-speaker sound system. Standard features included navigation, dynamic voice recognition, and Bluetooth connectivity for two devices. The Ioniq 5 offered a head-up display on the Limited trim and a wireless charging pad starting at the SEL trim level.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) as standard. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control was also standard, offering four following-distance settings.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 received top safety ratings, earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and five stars from the NHTSA. New standard safety features included an enhanced driver attention system with haptic steering wheel feedback and hands-on detection, as well as reverse and forward parking-distance warning. The XRT trim featured a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Highway Driving Assist 1 and 2 were available, with HDA 2 offering lane-changing capability and machine learning for improved driving style approximation.